About the exhibition!

This exhibition was envisioned and curated in consultation with several faculty members, both undergraduate and graduate students, to celebrate the Black History Month in February of 2020. The primary goal of this exhibition is to acquaint our undergraduate students with extensive print resources on the Blackness in the Caribbean and Latin America. The curator recognizes the spatial limitations on the physical exhibition that is being held in the Moffitt library's three exhibit cases. While the whole tapestry of beautiful Afro-Latin culture represents a nuanced history, one can perhaps understand it with the notion of sharing the common cultural, social, economic, political landscapes. It is that sharing of the spaces and the dialogues in the cultural interstitial spaces define the narratives of Blackness in the region. The exhibition partially dwells upon the racist stereotypes and painful past of slavery along with the current discrimination that is faced by the blacks in the Caribbean and Latin America.

The curator wants to thank our AUL Elizabeth Dupuis, my immediate supervisor Susan Edwards, the artist Ms. Aisha Hamilton, the editor- Ms. Virgie Hoban, the Center of Latin American Studies's Julia Byrd, Professor Ula Taylor, the student working group on Blackness in Latin America and the Caribbean for providing their support, thoughtful comments and guidance. Lastly, I must thank Dr. Jeff Mackie Mason, whose unwavering commitment to fostering change through Open Access in our library's culture and leadership has played a critical role in my growth as the librarian for the area studies collection development. Like Beth had said, onwards and forwards, and that is the way today's black population of Latin America is stepping forward in the future while not forgetting the past and embracing the present! I hope that you enjoy your visit to the virtual counterpart of this exhibition. Here are some photos of the physical exhibition.